I read that Raj was out of print so when I saw it at a local game store I grabbed it and I'm really glad I did. What a neat game. Everyone has cards numbered 1-15, turn over a tile a nd bid simultaneously. Your strategy doesn't always work but what fun planning it. I'll be playing this in the parlor when I'm old and gray. Maybe then my wife will let me win once in awhile. Great game!

I don't even remeber where I found RAJ, but now that I see it's out of print I'm glad I bought it; I only wish I took better care of the cards!

For my non-gamer friends, this was one game they actually took a liking to. (Well they also like Apples to Apples, but I'm glad they like Raj which let's us 'serious gamers' have fun too!)

I always get calls telling me to bring Raj to the next get-together. We even adapted Raj into a drinking game, making card counting in the latter rounds challenging. :-)

Another review here mentioned a near identical import (Hol's der Geier). I highly recommend getting it!

Raj, by Winning Moves, is a clever bidding game -- with some twists.

Players start each hand with cards numbered from 1 to 15. Fifteen tiles, ranging incrementally from 10 to -5 (with no '0'), are turned upside-down and mixed up. Someone flips over a tile and each player chooses one of his cards as his bid for that tile.

Sounds simple, right? Well, the catch is that, if the tile has a positive value and two or more people tie for the high bid, then the tile goes to the next highest bidder! Of course, if there is a tie for the second-highest bid, then the tie goes to the next highest bidder!

If this tie-breaking formula doesn't work, then another tile is flipped over and players submit a new bid for both tiles. However, if the tile is negative in value, the lowest bidder gets it, with ties forcing it to the next lowest bidder, etc.

The trick in Raj is figuring when to play your highest and lowest cards. For example, if you automatically save your 15 card for the 10 tile, someone else is likely doing the same thing, so the tile will go to someone else. Maybe you should play your 15 card on a 7, 8 or 9 tile if you think you will get it uncontested.

Raj makes for some interesting mind games with your friends, which results in great fun.